Textile carrier



Dec. 24, 1968 w. s. HAWKINS 3,417,940

TEXTILE CARRIER Filed May 8, 1967 FIG. 1

INVEN TOR. WI LLAR D S. HAWKINS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,417,940 TEXTILE CARRIER Willard S. Hawkins, Hartsville, S.C., assignor to Sonoco Products Company, Hartsville, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Filed May 8, 1967, Ser. No. 641,734 4 Claims. (Cl. 242125.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A textile carrier including a tubular body having a base with the end edge provided with a slot opening into the base end edge and a radially depressed area on the body outer surface encompassing the slot, the radially depressed area being arranged to accommodate an overlying portion of a textile strand material in underlying, nondestructive relationship with an associated driving surface positioned in parallel frictional driving engagement with the body outer surface.

This invention relates to a textile carrier and more particularly to a cone, tube, etc., for the packaging of textile strand material such as yarn.

Textile strand material such as yarn is commonly packaged today on a tubular article known as a carrier which may be in the form of a cone, tube, or the like. Yarn is Wound on the outer surface of such carriers to form a yarn package, the cone being one type of carrier in widespread use today throughout the textile industry.

A textile machine known as a drum winder is frequently used for winding textile carriers such as cones with yarn and employs a driven cylindrical member referred to as a drum. This winder drum is arranged to be positioned in parallel, frictional driving engagement with the cone outer surface and subsequently with the yarn continuously as the package is built up on the cone outer surface during the winding operation. In such a winding operation utilizing a drum winder, the operator of the winder manually places the leading end of the supply yarn on the outer surface of the cone to be wound having first inserted the leading end of the yarn within a slot suitably provided in the end edge of the cone base. The drum of the winder is then brought into driving engagement with the cone outer surface so as to clamp the yarn between the driving drum and the cone outer surface. With the rotation of the cone by the driving drum and the guiding of the yarn by the traversing device associated with the drum winder, layers of yarn are wound in overlying relationship and the driving drum maintains driving contact with the cone through each succeeding overlying layer of yarn. The portion of the cone outer surface wound with yarn or what is referred to as the winding surface is spaced inwardly from the cone tip and base so that the wound yarn does not overlap the slot and the end of the yarn extending through the slot is available for use as a transfer tail to tie in with other yarn packages for unwinding when the yarn is to be utilized. However, at the beginning of the winding operation, the driving surface of the drum is in contact with the outer surface of the cone over the slot which frequently results in the severing of the yarn transfer tail by pressure exerted on the yarn over the inner end edge of the slot. As a result of the loss of the transfer tail, a yarn package generally unsuitable for use in a subsequent unwinding operation is produced.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a new and novel textile carrier for use with a drum winder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and novel textile carrier such as a cone which prevents the severing of the yarn transfer tail from the yarn package during a drum winding operation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and novel textile carrier such as a cone which is provided with a simple and inexpensive feature which positively eliminates any severing of the yarn transfer tail by the drum during a drum winding operation and which does not in any way interfere with the winding of yarn on the carrier.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a new and novel textile carrier and in particular a cone which is provided with a feature that positively prevents transfer tail cutting during a drum winding operation and which feature may be provided on molded plastic cones using conventional molding practices or on cones wound from paper or the like in a simple and easy manner so as to have virtually no effect on the cost of producing such cones.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In general, the objects of this invention and other related objects are accomplished by providing a tubular body having a side wall, a tip, and a base having an end edge. The tubular body is provided With an outer surface for receiving wound textile strand material such as yarn and a slot is provided in the tubular body side wall adjacent the base end edge for receiving an end portion of yarn wound on the body outer surface. The slot includes an inner end and an outer end opening into the base end and a radially depressed area is provided on the body outer surface which encompasses the slot. Thus, the radially depressed area is arranged to accommodate an overlying portion of yarn extending from the slot onto the body outer surface to maintain the overlying portion in underlying, non-destructive relationship with an associated driving surface positioned in parallel, frictional driving engagement with the body outer surface.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and operation may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the textile carrier of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIGURE 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the carrier of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 3 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 55 of FIGURE 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing and to FIGURE 1 in particular, there is shown a textile carrier constructed in accordance with the invention which includes a tubular body designated generally by the numeral 11. In the preferred embodiment, the tubular body 11 is of conical shape and is preferably molded in any conventional manner from plastic material such as polypropylene, poly ethylene, and the like. However, it should be understood that the carrier or cone 11 may be of uniform diameter throughout rather than of tapered shape as shown and may be formed within the scope of the invention with other techniques and materials such as a wound paper cone.

The conical body 11 has a side wall 12, a tip 13, and a base 14. In one embodiment, the side wall 12 of the molded plastic body 11 may be provided with longitudinally extending internal ribs or splines 16 formed integrally therewith. As is well known, the ribs 16 are arranged to engage suitable grooves or the like on the textile machine spindle (not shown) on which the cone is mounted to provide a driving connection between the tubular body 11 and the spindle.

The tubular body 11 includes an outer surface 17 for receiving wound textile strand material such as yarn Y so that yarn package P is built up on the body 11 in overlying layers in the well known manner. It should be understood that yarn is wound, in general, only on the major portion of the body outer surface 17, end portions on the body surface 17 or what is generally referred to as the winding surface being free of yarn.

A leading end portion of the yarn being wound on the cone 11 is used as a transfer tail for tying into other yarn packages for yarn transfer between packages after exhaustion or runonut of the yarn wound on the cone 11. Accordingly, a slot 18 is provided in the cone side wall 12 through which is inserted the end portion of the yarn to remove it from the yarn winding surface leaving it free for attachment to another yarn package. The slot 18, which extends axially of the cone 11, has an inner end 21, a pair of side walls 22, 23 and an outer end opening into the end edge 14a of the base 14.

As specifically illustrative of the invention, a radially depressed area 24 is provided on the outer surface 17 of the cone 11 in encompassing relationship with the slot 18 having a marginal edge 24a which extends from the base end edge 14a adjacent the slot inner end 21 and side walls 22, 23. The radially depressed area 24 is substantially planar lying in a chordal plane extending parallel to the axis of the conical body 11 as shown best in FIGURE 4. As can be understood, the radially depressed area 24 may be formed integrally with a molded plastic cone body 11 or may be suitably formed on cones of other materials such as wound paper cones by grinding, buffing, etc.

The radially depressed area 24 is therefore arranged to accommodate an overlying portion of the yarn extending through the slot onto the tubular body outer surface as shown in FIGURES 1, 4. The area 24 maintains the overlying yarn portion in underlying, non-destructive relationship with an associated driving surface such as the driving surface of the associated winder drum which is positioned in parallel, frictional driving engagement with the body outer surface 17.

FIGURE 4 shows such a drum 26 which during the beginning of the winding operation has its surface 26a in driving contact with the body outer surface 17 leaving a clearance space S, as shown, over the area 24 which accommodates the yarn transfer tail. Thus, the yarn transfer tail, extending within the clearance space S, is free of engagement with the drum surface 26:: preventing cutting of the transfer tail over the relatively sharp, slot inner end 21.

It can be seen that there has been provided with the novel construction of the invention a textile carrier on which yarn is to be wound having a simple feature which positively eliminates any loss of the transfer tail during the winding of yarn on the carrier with the use of a drum winder. This transfer tail protective feature may be applied to any well-known carrier in the base end of which a s ot is provided such as a cone, tube, etc. The feature of the invention may be easily formed on plastic cones during a molding operation or may be easily formed on wound paper cones by an operation such as grinding, compressing, etc. Thus, the problem of loss of the yarn transfer tail during Winding as a result of cutting by a winder drum is eliminated at a negligible increase in initial cone cost and this feature of the invention which may be adapted to any well-known type of carrier does not detract in any way from the conventional yarn winding or unwinding operations.

While there has been provided what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is the aim of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is:

1. A textile carrier for textile strand material comprising, in combination, a tubular body having a side wall, a tip and a base having an end edge, said tubular body having an outer surface for receiving wound textile strand material, a slot in said tubular body side wall adjacent said base end edge for receiving an end portion of said textile strand material wound on said tubular body outer surface, said slot having an inner end and an outer end opening into said base end edge, a radially depressed area on said tubular body outer surface encompassing said slot, said radially depressed area being arranged to accommodate an overlying portion of said textile strand material extending from said slot onto said tubular body outer surface to maintain said overlying portion in underlying, nondestructive relationship with an associated driving surface positioned in parallel, frictional driving engagement with said tubular body outer surface.

2. A textile carrier in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tubular body is of conical shape.

3. A textile carrier in accordance with claim 1 wherein said radially depressed area is substantially planar and extends adjacent said slot from said slot inner end to the base end edge.

4. A textile carrier for textile strand material comprising, in combination, a conical body having a tip and a base having an end edge, said tubular body having an outer surface for receiving wound textile strand material, an axially extending slot in said tubular body side wall adjacent said base end edge for receiving an end portion of textile strand material wound on said tubular body, said slot having a pair of side walls arranged in spaced parallel relationship, an inner end and an outer end opening into said base end edge, a radially depressed area on said tubular body outer surface encompassing said slot and having a marginal edge adjacent said slot side walls and inner end, said radially depressed area lying in a chordal plane extending parallel to the axis of said conical body towards said tip from said base end edge, said radially depressed area being arranged to accommodate an overlying portion of said textile strand material extending from said slot onto said tubular body outer surface to maintain said overlying portion in underlying, non-destructive relationship with an associated driving surface positioned in parallel, frictional driving engagement With said tubular body outer surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Primary Examiner. 

